Apple on Wednesday suddenly removed its white entry-level MacBook from its website and online store, signaling that the five-year-old notebook has been officially replaced by the $999 MacBook Air [update: still available for eduction institutions only].

AppleInsider was first to report on Tuesday that Apple would begin to phase out the legacy device, first introduced as the successor to the PowerPC-based iBook and PowerBook. But the details from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of Concord Securities suggested the discontinuation of the product would occur in the next few months.

Apple surprised on Wednesday when it suddenly pulled the white MacBook from its site, bringing a faster-than-expected transition to the new 11.6-inch MacBook Air as the only $999 notebook in Apple's lineup. Kuo, citing industry checks, revealed that Apple's internal forecast for the white MacBook suspiciously drops off in August of this year.

Monthly shipments for the Core 2 Duo MacBook had fallen to between 80,000 and 100,000 units, comprising less than 10 percent of the Apple's total Mac shipments in the first half of 2011.

Update: Apple has announced to resellers that its white MacBook, model No. MC516, is available for education institutions only. Channel backlog and non-direct education institution customers will see their orders canceled effective immediately. (Readers looking for one of these models can still purchase one from Mac Mall, which still reflects stock.

The MacBook will remain available to partners via Apple's online reseller stores only for education institutions. The company did not offer a timeframe for which the entry-level notebook will remain available.

AppleInsider first revealed in late June that supply of the white MacBook was severely constrained. Those stock-outs have persisted for weeks at resellers like Amazon.

The white polycarbonate MacBook was Apple's only $999 notebook for years, but that changed in 2010 when the redesigned MacBook Air was launched. That included a new entry-level 11.6-inch model at the same price point which found instant success on the market.

The MacBook Air offers some key advantages over the white MacBook, namely fast NAND flash memory for storage, an ultraportable thin-and-light design, and a durable aluminum unibody construction. But the MacBook also sports a larger 13-inch display, features an optical drive, includes a built-in Ethernet port, and has more hard drive space.

I still don't see the reason to dissolve an entire product category. When the MBPs get updated as thinner, lighter, more powerful machines sans optical drives I can see the current MBP line becoming the new MacBooks.

I believe this also sets a precedence for Apple in that. They have removed from the online store an item they prominently have displayed in their B&M stores.

Dick Applebaum on whether the iPad is a personal computer: "BTW, I am posting this from my iPad pc while sitting on the throne... personal enough for you?"

it's kind of sad , first of all they are not the same, macbook white was 13" and macbook air for the same price is 11", macbook white was upgradable ( hard drive, and memory sticks) macbook air is not.

I feel a bit nostalgic for the white MacBook (or should I say the iBook). Sad to see it go.

I am very on board with this move. It was past it's prime and stuck out like a sore thumb. It didn't at all fit with the rest of Apple's products.

I think some people feel confused because going forward the White MacBook could have distinguished itself as one of the few, if not the only, Apple laptop with an optical drive. What these people should realize is that Apple is clearly moving to a streaming disk-less paradigm, and wants to eliminate optical drives altogether.

Good riddance to that cheap looking, white plastic Macbook. I wrote here that Apple should dump that machine months ago. Hopefully, the white era of Mac products is finally over. I never did like any of the white Apple products.

the MBA just was not ready to replace the white macbook, unless that drop that people have talked about to MBP's to $1,000 happens.

why it is not ready:
no Disk drive (some people do use it)
smaller hard drive space (even with the cloud, some people will find the base model not enough)
smaller display (we are talking about $1,000 here, so i can't really include the 13')
less battery life

There is more stuff that probably is worse, and stuff that is better, such as the case, ssd speed, etc.

however, if you have $900-$1100 (the range of base white MB depending on education/taxes)

the MBA really isn't something that i believe you can use for a main computer, if you wish to store anything on it, or use any kind of CD (usb cd burners cost even more money, so do external hard drives!)

i do agree that the MBA will be a suitable replacement for almost anyone in a year, maybe to, but i don't think that now was the best time.

ALSO WHAT DOES UNITS SOLD HAVE TO DO WITH IT BEING PULLED?
if they sell 80,000 to 100,000 units, i would believe that not all of those people who would buy it would be able to buy a suitable laptop from Apple.

If 80,000 people buy something, and it is profitable (with only $ spent on it being delivery and production) i don't believe that dropping it is a genius move.

PC means personal computer.

i have processing issues, mostly trying to get my ideas into speech and text.

When I bought my MB in 2006 with 60GB of storage it seemed ample at the time. Now my 500GB disk has got 100GB of free space. With an SSD based MBA I can not go beyond 256GB, so less than I have right now. Unless I connect an external HD to it, which makes it ugly to lug around.

Mind you the MBP fills that gap quite nicely though. So I guess it became obsolete.

RIP White MacBook. You still have one or two years in you on my desk. But w/o Lion 'cause you're that old

So they'll buy their crap $599 laptops and the millions of people who don't use optical discs anymore will buy MacBook Airs.

And everyone else on the planet who don't even care anyway will just by MacBook Pros.

Why I agree with you that $599 PCs are crap, many people still use optical discs. I personally watch DVDs on my MBP all the time. Just because the Mac App Store exists doesn't mean it works for all people.

I get tired of mac users justifying apple's decisions. "Oh yea, it should have always been that way." BS. Removing the optical disc sucks, and you know it.

I love apple too, but don't pretend that they aren't practically the only company that time and again can get away with giving you less value for more money.

Apple likely didn't want to reduce it to $899 and conflict with high end iPads.

It couldn't keep the price the same because in reality the Macbook Pro 13 is just $100 even you normalize to 4GB of RAM standard.

I figured this last MB was the swan song for the model.

When they remove the optical drive from the MacBook Pro, they may choose to keep the current 13" MacBook Pro as the sole model with the optical drive. Maybe, even call it the "MacBook." And, price it at $999.

The fact that the white plastic MacBook is still available through educational channels suggests that Apple still have some inventory to liquidate. It may be that Apple will be introducing new aluminium MacBooks later this year to serve the market segment caring most about low price, rather than ultimate performance (the MacBook Pro segment) or light, thin, and sexy (the MacBook Air segment).

I don't believe the assertion that Apple dropped the MacBook to avoid cannibalizing iPad sales. Apple have been able to sell as many iPads as they have been able to produce. I don't see any serious threats to the iPad market.

Really dumb. So unless 64GB of hard drive space, 2GB of RAM, no optical drive and an 11" screen suits a person's needs, Apple has no laptop under $1200. The white MacBook should have seen the same processor and graphic updates as the Mac Mini, and been priced at $899 or less.

IMHO a wash. I'm sure it will be good for apple as always. And PC people will laugh that you have to spend $1200 just to be able to play DVDs on your laptop.

Edit: actually it's worse. With the 64 GB of hard drive and 11-in display, the $999 MBA looks weak, compelling you to spend more to get something a bit more decent. Exactly what apple wants.

Yup. When the proles can buy a 15" Windows-based laptop with optical drive and built-in WiFi for under $700, Apple's foregoing a huge potential market (and, more importantly, entry point for people to get into the Apple universe and then move up over time).

Yup. When the proles can buy a 15" Windows-based laptop with optical drive and built-in WiFi for under $700, Apple's foregoing a huge potential market (and, more importantly, entry point for people to get into the Apple universe and then move up over time).

Nah, it's probably a reasonable move, given that Apple never really wanted a laptop to dip into that price category and kill its margins which is very important for its slew of investors. Given their recent emphasis on iOS, there is very little motivation for them to compete with certain SKUs of iPads, which is what an $800 Mac laptop would have done. iOS products will take gradually more prominent role in Apple lineup in the next few years, with Macbooks relegated to more niche areas.

Really dumb. So unless 64GB of hard drive space, 2GB of RAM, no optical drive and an 11" screen suits a person's needs, Apple has no laptop under $1200. The white MacBook should have seen the same processor and graphic updates as the Mac Mini, and been priced at $899 or less.

I'm happy with the removal of the MB as I think the MBA is clearly the way forward but it should have had 128GB on the entry model. What are you supposed to do when the 64GB iPhone comes out?

I wouldn't say it's a dumb move but premature. To only have 64GB in the model at the most accessible price point in the most popular computer category is going to have a negative effect. I can see a lot of people paying $200 more and buying the MBP instead, which won't help bring the storage prices down.

How much of a financial hit could it possibly be to stick in 64GB storage using 19nm NAND? $100? They could have recouped some by pricing the other models a bit higher.

I'm happy with the removal of the MB as I think the MBA is clearly the way forward but it should have had 128GB on the entry model. What are you supposed to do when the 64GB iPhone comes out?

I wouldn't say it's a dumb move but premature. To only have 64GB in the model at the most accessible price point in the most popular computer category is going to have a negative effect. I can see a lot of people paying $200 more and buying the MBP instead, which won't help bring the storage prices down.

How much of a financial hit could it possibly be to stick in 64GB storage using 19nm NAND? $100? They could have recouped some by pricing the other models a bit higher.

I agree, if the $999 MacBook Air had 128GB SSD and 4GB of RAM, killing the MacBook would have made partial sense. But as it is they just upped the price for a standalone portable Mac by $200. The $999 MacBook Air is hardly passable as a person's sole computer.

Yup. When the proles can buy a 15" Windows-based laptop with optical drive and built-in WiFi for under $700, Apple's foregoing a huge potential market (and, more importantly, entry point for people to get into the Apple universe and then move up over time).

I think the iPhone/Pad is the entry point - not sure they are worried too much about cheap low-margin computers. Their current model is pretty successful.

Really dumb. So unless 64GB of hard drive space, 2GB of RAM, no optical drive and an 11" screen suits a person's needs, Apple has no laptop under $1200. The white MacBook should have seen the same processor and graphic updates as the Mac Mini, and been priced at $899 or less.

I wish they still had the PowerBook 170 in the lineup as well... I just can't understand why they discontinued that product!!

From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, "Look at that!" -...